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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23916667">(there's no place like) home</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/falloutmars/pseuds/falloutmars'>falloutmars</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Riverdale (TV 2017)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops &amp; Cafés, F/M, Fluff, Meet-Cute, yes im still a sucker for coffee shop aus take it or leave it</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 20:16:16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>771</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23916667</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/falloutmars/pseuds/falloutmars</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Betty returns to <em>Riverdale Coffee</em> after 6 months. The cute barista still remembers her order.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>61</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>(there's no place like) home</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>just a little something before tonight's episode.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As much as Riverdale just isn’t New York City, where she started her travels, or London, where she finished them, it does still have that homely feel Betty didn’t want to admit that she missed. She’d told herself she <em>didn’t</em> want to return back to small-town life, but her options were limited once she’d run out of money. Luckily, her best friend offered her accommodation, and once back, she didn’t despise it as much as she used to. </p>
<p>Okay, so being home is <em>nice</em>. </p>
<p>Plus, she’d really missed the town’s one and only coffee shop, inventively named <em>Riverdale Coffee</em>. And the cute barista that worked there. </p>
<p>After spending a few days settling back into the shocking change of pace of upstate New York living, Betty decides to adventure out, of course going via her favorite coffee shop. </p>
<p>The bell on the door she used to hear every day back before she left gives her the feeling of coming home. It’s weird, she thinks, to feel this attached to a coffee shop, but she supposes she did use to spend all waking hours in while completing her online diploma, so it should be no surprise, really. </p>
<p>Inside, it hasn’t changed much, if at all. It’s lighter and airier than any she went to around the world. The walls are white still, wooden tables and chairs scattered across the floor in a neat fashion, well maintained and practically no different to how she remembered. An array of plants fill shelves above head, bringing a natural feel to it. </p>
<p>And behind the white-wooden counter stands the cute barista she remembers so well. </p>
<p>Before walking up to the counter, she takes a deep breath in, appreciating her surroundings. Her eyes scan the chalkboard menu, wondering if she should order something else or her usual iced strawberry green tea. She doesn’t consciously make a decision, finding her legs moving her towards the counter before she can do so.</p>
<p>The cute barista, nametag mysteriously labeling him ‘J’, looks up at her, grin splashed across his face. “Hello,” he says, voice cheery. </p>
<p>Betty finds herself in some kind of haze for a moment. Somehow, he seems <em>even </em>cuter. He used to wear a gray knit beanie, but that’s gone now, dark hair threatening to fall in front of his right eye. The lack of beanie makes him look older, she thinks, even though she’s almost certain he’s around her age. </p>
<p>His voice shakes her out of her trance. </p>
<p>“You want your usual? Large iced strawberry green tea?” he asks with a small head tilt. </p>
<p>She blinks in disbelief. “I haven’t been here in six months,” she blurts out before her brain can catch up with her mouth. </p>
<p>He sends her a lopsided smile. “Wow. Has it really been that long?”</p>
<p>Nodding, she feels a blush rise up on her face. “I’ve been traveling,” she says by way of explaining. “And, yes, for the drink. Please.”</p>
<p>He doesn’t respond, turning around and getting to work on making her drink. She watches as he effortlessly prepares it in just a few minutes, presenting it to her with a proud twinkle in his eye. </p>
<p>“Thank you,” she replies, handing over a five-dollar bill with one hand and taking the cup with the other. </p>
<p>He shakes his head, gently pushing the bill back towards her. “It’s on me.”</p>
<p>She can’t help the smile that spreads across her face. “Thank you, uh, J.” </p>
<p>“Please,” he giggles. “Call me Jughead.”</p>
<p>“Okay. Thanks, Jughead.” His name sounds foreign on her tongue, but she likes it. “I’m Betty.” </p>
<p>After pocketing the money, she holds out her hand, and he takes it, shaking gently. She swears she feels a slight spark as he does so, but she tries to ignore it in favor of <em>not</em> embarrassing herself in the only coffee shop in town. </p>
<p>“Nice to meet you officially, Betty,” he says, voice soft and genuine rather than fake-cheery as before. “Will I be seeing more of you in here again?” </p>
<p>“Oh, I think you will.”</p>
<p>Taking a sip of her drink, she makes a split-second decision, picking up a napkin and using the pen that inexplicably sits atop the counter to write her number down. She pushes it towards him, who looks at her in true disbelief. Breathing out a laugh, he wordlessly takes the napkin and pockets it whilst poorly hiding a grin. </p>
<p>“I hope to see you elsewhere, though,” she smirks, stepping back and out of the coffee shop leaving Jughead behind in a state of shock. </p>
<p>
Riverdale may not have been where she wanted to be, but it sure does have its perks. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>hello! i hope you enjoyed this little fic. it's not much but i will be back tomorrow with another chapter of serendipity. thank you for reading, thank you for leaving comments, and thank you for leaving kudos. i appreciate them all. </p>
<p>stay safe y'all.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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